Students in Brazil chatting and engaging with technology

In Brazil, age-grade distortion is an emerging problem for schools. More than 7 million children and adolescents are currently behind in their schooling by two or more years, according to the 2017 School Census. These boys and girls have fallen behind for a multitude of reasons, but significant numbers are required to repeat academic years because they have dropped out, fallen behind, or were otherwise unable to progress in their studies. The “Trajetórias de Sucesso Escolar” (“Successful School Trajectories”) program was launched by UNICEF, in partnership with Samsung and NGO Cidade Escola Aprendiz, to provide data on this situation and offer solutions.

Regional data about age-grade distortion can be found on the platform http://trajetoriaescolar.org.br/, which provides statistics detailing the geographical spread and prevalence of age-grade distortion. The tool also provides surveys in the hope that people will be encouraged to share information such as race, gender and age profiles, among other details. By publishing this data, the project aims to shed light on the situation and thus face the challenge of age-grade distortion by creating policies that are tailored to specific states and municipalities.

The aim is to use the results from the platform to implement initiatives that are flexible and can be adapted to individual students, schools and regions. It is hoped that these initiatives will re-integrate the students into the school community and reduce the likelihood of truancy and failure.

UNICEF asserts that getting to know students is critical to ensuring that public policies are both efficient and effective. Samsung supports this mission and believe that the company can play a role in improving schooling across Brazil through the use of technology.

“We believe that the development of Brazilian education is a task for all members of society to overcome. Therefore, Samsung strives to collaborate and actively participate in improving the learning process for all students,” says Isabel Costa, Corporate Citizenship Manager at Samsung Brazil.

Samsung’s desire to encourage learning is key to their involvement in the initiative in Brazil. The company collaborated with UNICEF to discuss the future of the initiative at the “Promoção de Trajetórias de Sucesso Escolar” (“Promoting Successful School Trajectories”), a seminar held in Brazil last August that discussed the findings of a recent study conducted by Inep (“National Institute of Studies and Educational Research Anísio Teixeira”*).

UNICEF-Samsung Marathon

In addition to the “Trajetórias de Sucesso Escolar” project, Samsung has also committed itself to the “Maratona UNICEF Samsung” (“UNICEF-Samsung Marathon”), which is a programming and technology strategy to create educational applications that will help to encourage students in their studies and reduce age-grade distortion in Brazil. The project is being carried out in partnership with Softex (Association for the Promotion of Excellence in Brazilian Software) and will be implemented as part of the “Brasil Mais TI” program.

The UNICEF-Samsung Marathon’s final phase will start this month. There will be a presentation of 31 selected projects that have brought together students, programmers, designers, developers, teachers and inventors to create app prototypes for Languages, Mathematics, Natural Sciences and Human Sciences. These apps will be used to inspire students in grades 6–9 of elementary school.

Samsung is involved in the development of the apps in a number of capacities, including project mentoring and offering specialist support and knowledge. UNICEF and its partners are responsible for providing education support to the participating teams.

Offering More than Products

Samsung is a world leader in the field of technology, offering a range of products that help people challenge their limits and overcome obstacles so that they can achieve their dreams and life goals. Samsung is committed to innovation and is constantly investing in research and development so that they can offer their users the very best that technology can provide.

People are the main focus of the brand and for this reason Samsung offers a range of exclusive services, benefits, and experiences for customers through Samsung Care and Samsung Club. Communities can also benefit from Samsung Social, a sponsorship program that was designed to promote projects that create a more inclusive and sustainable world.

* Instituto Nacional de Estudos e Pesquisas Educacionais Anísio Teixeira.

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has presented, for the first time in Mexico, a video that uses Samsung’s virtual reality technology to raise awareness about the reality many children in Mexico face. Through the eyes of a Mixtec girl, the video shows what life is like in one of the most vulnerable communities in Montaña de Guerrero.

The video, entitled La Canción del Lobo Feroz (The Song of the Wild Wolf), tells the story of how children try to get their lives back on track after a tragedy, as well as fighting to stay in school no matter how difficult the conditions are.

The video was filmed in the communities of Metlatonoc, San Miguel Almotepec, San Juan Puerto Montaña, Cochoapa El Grande and Loma de San Marcos in the region of Montaña de Guerrero. These communities were severely affected by Hurricanes Manuel and Ingrid in September 2013, which left landslides and floods in their wake, as well as considerable losses of human life and material damage. Furthermore, the communities are at risk given the erosion of the mountain and earthquakes in the region.

The community of Loma de San Marcos is part of the poorest area in Mexico. According to the United Nations Development Program, this area has a Human Development Index 2.5 times below that of the country average. Since the hurricanes in 2013, this community has not had access to basic services, such as electricity or water, nor has it had access to medical treatment.

La Canción del Lobo Feroz is a story of overcoming adversity in a community where children recover from a natural disaster, sing a song to come to terms with their losses and remember the importance of being prepared to act in an emergency. The “wild wolf” can take the form of a hurricane, an earthquake or a storm, and the children need to be ready when it comes back.

“UNICEF is working to ensure that the children go to school and learn, especially those children who need it the most. And it is not just about formal education, but rather about skills that help them overcome disasters, such as hurricanes or floods,” commented Isabel Crowley, a UNICEF Representative in Mexico.

UNICEF promotes school safety through the creation of Risk and Disaster Prevention Plans for Schools, which actively involve the entire community (teachers, parent and children) in order to help them prepare to cope with these dangerous situations.

For this campaign, UNICEF teamed up with Samsung Electronics Mexico, an official sponsor of the program. Thanks to its virtual reality visors, the Samsung Gear VR, people can learn more about these communities and take a virtual tour of the La Montaña de Guerrero as part of a unique immersive experience.

Samsung’s virtual reality technology offers high-definition graphics for improved visual quality, making it possible for viewers to explore new worlds and surroundings in a completely realistic and sensorial manner.

“Here at Samsung, we are always looking for ways to use our technological innovations to drive positive changes in the communities in which we operate. In Mexico, we have focused our social responsibility programs on promoting better education opportunities for children and young people. That is why we are exceedingly proud to be collaborating with UNICEF. We are certain that this creative campaign will successfully raise awareness among thousands of people and get them to actively join the fight to combat these problems,” commented Miguel Jeon, CFO of Samsung Electronics Mexico.

The video is part of a fundraising campaign to invite people to set up a monthly donation using their credit card via the www.donaunicef.org.mx website, or via UNICEF promoters who can be found at malls, parks, museums and companies in a number of states throughout Mexico. Aleks Syntek, Yolanda Andrade, CD9, Javier Jatti and Michel Jourdain have also joined forces with this campaign.

The funds raised will be earmarked for programs that promote education, provide emergency relief, prevent child labor and combat violence in order to offer boys and girls the opportunity to grow up healthily and fulfill their full potential.